


Only Loony Lovegood

by QuidditchSeason1977



Series: Writer's Workshop - Flash Fiction Edition [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Elemental Luna Lovegood, Gen, Seer Luna Lovegood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:21:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26501326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuidditchSeason1977/pseuds/QuidditchSeason1977
Summary: The wind told her that if she entered the library knowing what she was looking for, the library would be silent. But if she entered unknowing?It would wake up.
Relationships: Luna Lovegood & Hogwarts Library
Series: Writer's Workshop - Flash Fiction Edition [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866859
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Only Loony Lovegood

**Author's Note:**

> Written for prompt #16 of my Writer's Workshop - Flash Fiction Edition list. That list is 52 prompts that are supposed to be written as quickly as possible (time limit - 2 hours) and be at least 500 words long.
> 
> Side note - Luna is absolutely my favorite.
> 
> I don't own anything!

Luna was fairly confident that, for all the time she spent in the library, Hermione Granger had never heard the library speak.

The reason, of course, was Hermione’s biggest flaw – her complete disregard for anything that couldn’t be seen, felt, or read in a book. This was also the reason Luna and Hermione didn’t (couldn’t) get along – they lived in two completely different worlds.

Luna’s world was filled with sound: the wind and earth whispered secrets to her; the fire and water whispered warnings. She met people and already knew their names, faces, secrets, fears, or sometimes all of the above. She had known before being told (years later) that Ginny had been under a dark influence for their first year of school because the fire had wept for her. She knew long before it came to light that their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in her third year had not been who he claimed to be because the water complained of the duplicity. She knew of Harry’s odd dreams and truthfulness in her fourth year because the earth confided in her and screamed against Voldemort’s new body. She knew of Professor Lupin’s secrets because the wind showed her, just as it let her listen in on Harry, Ron, Hermione, Professor Lupin, and Sirius Black at the end of that year.

It was how she knew the secret of the library.

The wind told her that if she entered knowing what she was looking for, the library would be silent. But if she entered unknowing?

It would wake up.

The very first time, and every time following, that Luna had entered the Hogwarts Library in her first year, she had made extra certain to keep her mind empty. She did not think about the homework that had been assigned or the novels she might like to read. She just entered with her mind blank and kept her mind open as she wandered through the shelves. And the library responded.

It woke up.

Eventually it would take less time from when Luna entered the library to when the library woke but in those early years it took nearly an hour of noncommittal browsing before the library woke. But when it did wake, it was very informative. And it was so delighted to have someone who, at long last, took the time to wait for the library to wake that Luna got a few privileges.

Luna always was able to find a copy of a book that she might need for a class, even when Madam Pince thought that all copies of that book were checked out. Luna was never bothered by bullies in the library because the library took steps to ensure Luna couldn’t be found if she didn’t want to be. Luna always had the most interesting novels or research papers to read because the library saved them just for her.

And in return, Luna listened to the library speak. The library told stories of long ago – of historical figures (or even just particularly intelligent or interesting students) who had studied within the walls of the library. Of the years it took to get Hogwarts school up and running. Of the Founders who wove enchantments into the very stones of the school. Of the library’s humble beginnings as just a shelf or two from the Founder’s personal collections of books.

She learned of terrible things too, though no less interesting. She learned of the young Voldemort, then called Tom, who studied within the library’s walls. She learned of young students who pushed themselves and the bounds of magic too far and paid terrible prices for it. She learned of the various attempts to destroy Hogwarts school and, on one particularly terrible occasion, burn the library’s contents.

Luna treasured her conversations with the library. She counted the library as a friend. But she could not share the stories the library told her with anyone else, especially when those stories were contrary to what history books said (which they often were). She knew no one would believe her when they inevitably asked, “Where did you hear such a thing?” and she responded with “the library told me so.” She was, after all, only Loony Lovegood.

And everyone knew Loony Lovegood was a little bit, well, loony.


End file.
